1. On April 9, 1682, the first recorded public protest against slavery in North America occurred in Boston. The Quaker community organized a public meeting at the Boston Common to condemn the practice of slave trade and the ownership of human beings.

2. In 1770, the Boston Massacre occurred on the night of April 9. British soldiers stationed in Boston opened fire on a group of unarmed colonists, killing five people and sparking outrage across the colonies, which further fueled the American Revolution.

3. On April 9, 1865, Union General George Armstrong Custer captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who was trying to flee Richmond, Virginia, during the final days of the Civil War. Davis was later accused of treason but was never convicted.

4. Massachusetts-born astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space on April 9, 1984. She participated in the STS-41G mission aboard the space shuttle Challenger.

5. On April 9, 2003, Massachusetts' own U.S. Senator John Kerry announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election. Kerry went on to win the nomination but was ultimately defeated by incumbent President George W. Bush in the general election.